Seoul – The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea submitted a motion to the National Assembly on Monday calling for the impeachment of the head of the national audit agency and three prosecutors involved in two separate scandals involving first lady Kim Kun-hee.
Parliament will vote on the motions at a plenary session scheduled for Wednesday, according to plans announced by the main opposition group, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament. By law, the impeachment motion must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours after it is submitted to the plenary session.
The Democratic Party claimed that Cui Jaehae refused to submit documents to the congressional audit of the Blue House and official residence relocation in 2022, so it filed an impeachment motion against Cui Jaehae.
It also builds on allegations by a civil society group that Choi failed to have his agency properly investigate irregularities surrounding the 2022 relocation project. Leading civil society group People’s Solidarity for Participation in Democracy submitted an audit request to BAI in 2023, asking for an investigation into suspicions that government officials allocated “excessive” budgets for the relocation project.
In addition, civil society groups pointed out that a construction company suspected to be owned by an acquaintance of the first lady was involved in the relocation plan without the necessary building permits.
A motion to impeach Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office Chief Lee Chang-soo and two other senior prosecutors were also tabled at the plenary session for their refusal to prosecute the first lady over the alleged stock manipulation scandal.
Hours before the plenary session, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik postponed a parliamentary vote on the 2025 budget bill for a week as the main opposition party pushed for unilateral passage of proposed budget cuts.
Korea’s Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, has been preparing to put the smaller budget to a vote at Monday’s plenary session.
The opposition proposal would cut more than 4 trillion won ($2.86 billion) from the original 677.4 trillion won plan set by the Yoon Seok-yeol government for 2025. The ruling bloc has in recent days stepped up calls on the main opposition to abandon its unilateral proposals, saying the cuts would create obstacles for the Yoon Seok-yeol government to pursue key initiatives.
“After careful consideration, we have decided not to introduce a budget bill at today’s plenary session,” Wu told a news conference around noon.
“I strongly urge both parties (the ruling party and the main opposition party) to pass the budget before December 10, the last day of the regular parliamentary session,” he added.
Wu insisted that the current budget process failed to “bring hope” to the people, urging the two major parties to work together to renegotiate the proposal.
“I decided (to postpone the vote) because the current budget process cannot bring hope to the people. Parliament has a responsibility to formulate a budget plan that stabilizes people’s livelihoods and the economy and brings hope to the vulnerable groups in society.
Ten prominent lawmakers from the ruling People’s Power party, including floor leader Choo Kyung Ho, visited the speaker ahead of the announcement to protest the main opposition’s efforts to cut the budget.
Ruling party lawmakers also asked the National Assembly on Monday not to hear a motion by the main opposition to impeach the head of the state-run Audit and Inspection Service and three prosecutors for failing to prosecute first lady Kim Gun-hee for an alleged stock manipulation scheme. However, John Woo’s announcement of the postponement did not include an impeachment motion.
In the morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok called on the main opposition to scrap the budget reduction proposal, echoing a statement issued by the Blue House the day before.
“As the minister of the executive agency responsible for the national budget, I deeply regret the irresponsible unilateral actions (to promote the budget plan) taken by the main opposition,” Choi Soon-sil said at a joint press conference with economy-related ministers.
“I ask the main opposition to withdraw its unilateral budget cuts proposal, unprecedented in constitutional history, and to negotiate (with the government) in good faith,” he added.
On Friday, the Parliament’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts (the standing committee responsible for reviewing the national budget, currently led by the opposition) agreed to present the smaller 673.3 trillion won plan at its plenary session on Monday. Committee members from the ruling People’s Power party boycotted the meeting in protest.
Choi noted that the smaller proposed budget will take a hit from local businesses amid global economic uncertainty caused by the incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States.
“In an economic crisis where we face internal and external challenges, including increased (U.S.) trade protectionism and instability in global supply chains, the main opposition has gone too far in pursuing budget reduction proposals,” he said.
“[The budget reduction plan]could lower and harm our sovereign credit rating… There have been instances (in the past) overseas where uncertainty in policymaking, including budget-related uncertainty, had a negative impact on a country’s credit rating. Negative impact situations.
